Free Ebooks

Dear readers,

With so much going on right now I wanted to do something as so many may be on lock-down or Spring break with nothing to do.

It isn’t much, and I will not post a link to my Amazon Author page as this isn’t promotion but the only thing I could think of to do.

Starting TOMORROW 03/19/2020 through 03/23/2020 all of my available Ebooks, I own the rights to, will be free. (If I did it right)

If there is an ebook you want (that I own rights to) that is NOT free–let me know and I will go make it so.

Stay safe, wash those hands and PLEASE, PLEASE lets pull together as a nation. Lets care about those with medical conditions and the elderly… lets watch each others back with care and compassion.

-Bobbi Romans

Thanksgiving Contest & Recipe!

In celebration of Thanksgiving and giving thanks, I’m hosting up what hopefully will be a little fun with a nifty prize at the end.

We love food. We love cooking. We are HUMAN…That means not all our loving meals quite come out like we intend. Maybe we ran out of something and tried to wing-it with another ingredient.

Maybe our oven takes a crap on Thanksgiving morning. (True story) Or maybe it’s not even the food, maybe our toilet became old faithful and you didn’t even know one could blow like that!! (Another true story)

Share your favorite Thanksgiving BLOOPER and sometime on the Friday after, I’ll pick a winner.

What’s the prize you ask?

An autographed copy of my sweet coming home, Thanksgiving themed story. The story of realizing you aren’t at the card table anymore and that you and your siblings are now grown.

An American Holiday-Turkey, Cranberry Sauce & Prozac!

 

Amazon

In the story Kristi James shares a family recipe. Great Grandma Obaugh’s Cranberry Salad- Well folks, that was my grandmother Obaugh’s cranberry salad recipe, so while the story is completely fictional, this of all my stories holds the most little truths here and there.

For those who wish the recipe for Thanksgiving… Prepare the night before for best results.

Large Box Cherry Jell-o
One Cup Sugar
One Cup Walnuts or Pecans
One Cup Celery
One Cup Raw Cranberries
One Can of Crushed Pineapple
One Orange

Large box of Cherry Jell-o and one cup of sugar. Add HALF the required boiling water and mix until all is dissolved. Set in refrigerator to HALF set.

While you are waiting.

Chop walnuts or pecans, celery and raw cranberries. Once Jell-o is half-set, add all ingredients, including entire can juice and all of crushed pineapple and grate the entire orange (zest) and then using fingers shred the flesh up into the jell-o.

Mix well and set in refrigerator overnight.

If you try it… PLEASE, PLEASE let me know what you thought. I loved sharing Great Grandma’s recipe and I thought she’d get a kick too!

Happy Thanksgiving
~ Bobbi Romans

Food Fail

This will be one of many of my many epic food fails. But ya know… some of the best recipes come from such “fails.”

Sadly, this time wasn’t one of those, but truly was a “don’t ever do this.”

So I’m tired, worked all day, but promised my wee people meatloaf, mashed potatoes and cheesy green beans. Got home, raced in and got to putting the meatloaf together. I never make the same type because I’m always playing with meatloaf. I mean come on… how cool is meatloaf??!!

Valentines? Meatloaf hearts.

St. Pattys Day? Meatloaf clovers.

Cordon Bleu Meatloaf? But of course!

Pizza Meatloaf… absolutely!!

Last night? None of those. I was just trying to throw together a simple meatloaf as to get the potatoes boiling for the mashed. I went for my bread crumbs. Out. Went for some crackers. Out. Chips? Out of those two. Oatmeal! Nope… out of that too.

(Yes, I know I need to do some serious restocking.)

So what did I try that was so bad? Grits. Don’t judge. I was tired. I was hot, I’m menopausal and just wanted to put a nice meal on the table before I melted away faster than Frosty did in July.

I gotta say, it didn’t change the flavor… but a gritty-like texture in meatloaf? Yeah, no. First bite the whole family asked, “Uhhh, what’d you put in this?”

So what was your last food fail?

This weekend COOK! Play with recipes and don’t fear the occasional, “what the hell was I thinking dishes?”

Have a great weekend,

-Bobbi

 

 

 

 

Macaroni & Cheese & My Roux Sauce

So let’s talk Roux Sauce. I thought we all made it. But after having been asked what one is, thought maybe I’d make a post about it how I know to do it.

Now lets clear the air about something. I’m not a chef. So I may post something and you’re going to say…. No, that’s not right.

Its probably not but it works for me and that’s how I do it. Like great grandma’s cranberry salad (Amazing!) She said, “grate the whole orange, peel and all.” Years later I had someone correct me and said it should be just the zest…
(PS I stuck by Great Grandma Obaughs words)

Okay, back to task for the below you can have it popped in the oven within 20-25 min. TIP: If really in crunch… I’ve been known to not even bake it and just serve as is.

ROUX sauce:
(1) Stick of Butter
1/4th Cup of Flour
Seasonings according to what you are using it for.

Roux Sauce for my Mac-N-Cheese. One of my most requested recipes.

The above PLUS
Small squirt of mustard or splash of Worcestershire Sauce or MY fav, a spoonful of Mole sauce.
Dash or two of salt, and dash or two of pepper

Mac-N-Cheese-Recipe

*While you’re making your sauce, go ahead and get a large pot of salted water on to boil*

(2) Cans of evaporated milk
(2) Cups shredded Cheddar
½ Cup of Shredded Swiss (if I’m out I’ll use Velvetta)
3/4th Cup of Parmesan Cheese.
½ cup of Durkee’s French Fried onions. (Store brand is okay)
2 Pound box of elbow pasta

I cook for a large crew, so just cut everything in half to reduce the recipe.

Preheat oven to 350

Melt butter, once melted reduce heat to medium add flour and whisk until a paste appears. Add your squirt of mustard and dashes of pepper and salt. Whisk well. Whisk in can of Evaporated milk slowly. Keep whisking until mixture thickens. Add second can same method. Once mixture is of desired thickness add ½ cup of the parmesan and blend. Add rest of cheeses and continue stirring until completely mixed. Turn OFF heat.

Once pasta is done, drain well and add to cheese mixture. Mix well.

Spoon into large baking dish. (or two) Crush Durkee’s and mix with remaining Parm and sprinkle on top of casseroles.

Bake about 25-40 minutes until nice and golden and bubbly.

Fun note. Mac-N-Cheese is SOO versatile and fun. Add bacon or ham for a meaty version and add peas to that for a one pot meal.

Note: I was out of the topping I normally use in the below pic so I just added a bit more cheese.

 

Play with other spices and seasonings. Like I said the Mole Sauce is my favorite ingredient to date. LOVE the way it turned out with it.

I used to make this as a side, and now, serve with a salad and make it the main course.

Have fun with your Macaroni and Cheese!

-Bobbi

 

 

Sweet Tomato Salad

1st let me say, Happy Memorial Day! May the memories of those who fought and are gone, give the rest of us the spirit and fight to the best humans we can be in their honor.

I shared a few days ago a complete Memorial Day Feast Menu complete with recipes.

Today, a simple and COOL side dish to help beat this unbearable heat! (I’m in Florida and we’re hitting triple digit temps-Yikes)

5-6 Tomatoes chopped. (I actually used a mix of tomatoes- you can even sneak a green tomato in for added color)

1 round of fresh mozzarella diced.

1 cup of sliced black olives.

• Special note: you can definitely add pasta and say pepperoni to turn this into a pasta salad.

Put all ingredients in large bowl, add 1/2 cup of Italian dressing and 2 tsp of sugar and toss gentle. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Have fun and play with this recipe or just keep it quick and simple. The skies the limit with this one.

-Bobbi Romans

Turning 50 – A mom’s eye view

Let’s start this post with a heads-up. My posts can be on anything at anytime. Happy, dark, funny or just plain insane.

Why? Because isn’t that how life rolls?

I’m Bobbi Romans. I used to write romance. Hell, I used to write period. Loved it. It was my anchor and my sanity savor. Then life went hard left while I was still strolling on the right.

Life changed. But it always does.

Now, I’m back at an office job with little free-time for writing (which I’m going to try and change) and helping a family member through a gnarly divorce and custody battle all while STILL trying to keep me-me.

I turned 50, fell twice, screwed my knee up and if a certain person I love doesn’t stop suggesting maybe losing a few pounds might help the healing knee—well there may be some ex-lax brownies in their future!

Yes, my poor knobby knee is protesting the fat ass it’s trying to keep upright. No, that’s a lie. I have no ass. Really. I don’t get it. Other women get chubby and get big boobs and a butt.

Me?

Nope. Belly. All belly.

Now going back to the falls, in fairness, the tub should have more of those non-skid things and the second fall was because some buffoon filled the dog water so full it puddled out. New gorgeous tile + water= Me sailing beyond the kitchen to rather ping-pong like off every door jam and wall between the kitchen and laundry room.
Ended up on my back with my daughter and granddaughter staring over me, freaked out and asking if I was ok.

See, that’s how you know you’re old. Younger = laughter after a fall. Older=horrified looks and phones being pulled out to call 911.

For all this however, I’m digging 50. I don’t care about the wrong things as much as I understand the right ones.

No make-up for work? No biggie. Ran out of time to dress up for the party? Cool, the house is clean and food is cooked even if I do appear as if I’ve stuck my finger in a socket and am wearing half the flour bag. I’ve finally, truly understood, those who matter don’t care what you did or did not wear. How your hair was fixed or how on point your make-up is/was.

They care you are there.

See, I think many of us have friends and family that have been this way, WE however didn’t understand it.

I tried to be the Do-It-All Mom. I didn’t buy the cookies, I made them. I didn’t buy the costumes… I made those too. Volunteer? Yep, not a day of but the weeks of. All while working full time.

Then I learned, it wasn’t the homemade vs store bought that mattered.

It’s that you are THERE.

Something about turning 50 changed things for me. I want more time to enjoy the actual events in life rather than wasting so much time looking the best that I can, while trying to be June Cleaver so much that I essentially missed life’s special moment(s). So I’m sharing my recent discovery hoping maybe someone else’s life is a nutty as mine and they are wondering if its okay to say… enough.

Don’t get me wrong. I still try to keep myself up. Just not to the degree I did before. If I run out of time for make-up-don’t care. Touch of bronzer and its out the door. If I run out of time to make that cake? Life is too short, I swing by a bakery and buy one.

I’m not Superwoman and I’m tired of trying to be.

I am me and I’m okay with that.

-Bobbi

3 NON-Messy Ways to Dye those Eggs!

EggTastic Update on 3 different Egg Dying Methods!

 

1) Cool Whip Dye

2) Rice in a baggie Dye

3) Old School Box Kit (Which did have bags over cups!)

*Of course follow direction of boiling eggs and vinegar for ALL 3 described dying methods- See instructions in #1**

ALL three DID work with some variation.

1) Cool Whip. More of a pastel tie-dye effect. Pretty! Directions: Boil Eggs. Once done, spread boiled eggs out on dish towel to dry. Place eggs (gently) one at a time in plastic cup of vinegar. Set back on dish towel to dry. While eggs are cooling/drying, spread Cool Whip in glass pan, drop a few drops of food coloring here and there and use toothpick to “SWIRL” mixture.

Place egg(s) in Cool Whip and roll around until covered. Leave in the mix a few minutes before removing and wiping off excess Cool Whip.

2) Rice in a Baggie. Now this DOES work, HOWEVER… the rice sucks up so much of the dye, that we found this worked best. Add rice to baggie. Add desired color(s) mix well. Then add boiled egg and add a drop or TWO more of desired color(s) before sealing bag to gently swirl egg around rice.

3) We bought a kit ($2.00) that was GEL based and had baggies over dyes in cups. MUCH LESS MESS and very, very VIBRANT eggs. The directions were simply place boiled egg in baggie. Pick one or more of the gel dye colors (3 included in the kit) and drop a few drops down INTO the baggie and ONTO the egg. Gently swirl egg in the bag until desired color reached. OUR kit also came with glitter so before they dried but after we pulled them out and set them in the drying spots on the package, we sprinkled glitter on.

Finished Product!

 

The Light Pastel eggs were Cool Whip, the the solid red and orange as seen in the 1st pic were actually rice… the super dark colors were the gel dye.

Happy Easter Egg Dying!

Bobbi Romans

Am I a broken reader?

Am I a broken reader?

I write this because well… I guess I read, and LOVE, what I see so many hate. Loathe, reject or deny.

Let me start by saying, this post is NOT about anyone. Its not what anyone said or did, but I what I keep stumbling across as the “norm.”

Growl. I can’t tell you how many posts I’ve run across where some say, “Oh for the love of baby kittens, NO MORE GROWLING.”

Me?

I fucking love it. Done right, if he growls at her, it shivers me timbers. Am I broken?

Millionaires and surprise babies. There are some who say, give me MORE! Some places actually push that troupe.

Me?

What the ever loving fuck? I’m so damn broke and menopausal my head can’t even begin to wrap around that. Not even for a minute. Am I broken?

First vs Third? Again, I’ve run across countless posts, from readers, agents and even editors. Heck, even crit classes. AVOID first.

Me?

LOVE it. I often write 1st POV and more often, read it. When done well, you become that character for their story. Don’t get me wrong. If there are many emotions from many characters I think 3rd is best to better get this across to the reader. Am I broken?

There are so many DON’TS that are my DO list that I’m lest wondering…

Am I a broken reader/author?

Weigh in. Gimme your thoughts. I’m curious.

 

A farewell dinner WITH pics!

Doing a quick dinner posting. Last night we had a farewell meal with my niece and her family. Their heading back up to Oklahoma later this month.

Remember, there are nine people in this house. NINE!

So, any event is a huge undertaking in getting everything ready. Between tidying bathrooms, sweeping, carpets etc, the cooking must be something I know I can control the time of. Last night I made the below for the 1st time and it was SUPER easy! Because it was a little here and a little there, I was able to clean in-between the prep work and NOT run around like crazy. Okay, so maybe there was a tad of crazy but I was also finishing up the baby blanket and matching hat.

The meal;

Cheesy Potato & Ham Bake w/ Side Salad, Homemade Bread and Lemon Tarts for dessert.

If anyone is interested in the easy recipes, just comment so and I’ll edit this to include them. For now, I’ve got to get back to my posts for an upcoming June class on queries.

Happy Eating & Happy Writing!

Bobbi

Horror Chat & Recipe (What a combo right?)

 

Quick post as I’m still going full steam with no pause in sight.

Book Update: Two Summer Steamy reads coming soon…I’m waiting on some feedback to a much sweeter, slower paced story and Swamp Magic Bk4 is also still in the works. I’ll keep everyone updated.

For those new to me, I’m going to share a few reviews from a fun, horror cross over I did a few back.

Blurb:

Shana, Erron, and Marklon hadn’t realized life had more than a committed threesome in store for them. Like catching the serial killer monster who is leaving bloody body parts in restaurants throughout their small town—on platters no less.

The first murder and subsequent meal/gag occurred not long ago, at the upscale eatery, Carnal Cravings. Not long after, nearly every restaurant in town had served up some form of unexpected tartar. Heads on platters stuffed like prize pigs at luaus and people popsicles. Even deli-wrapped penises, taking Oscar Meyer Weiner to a whole new plane of pun, have rocked the sleepy little town of Crow Manor Maine to a state of panic.

It was then the nightmares began for Shana and her two men. It wasn’t long before she realized they weren’t nightmares but visions. They’d become attuned to the killer. As the threesome fight for their love and their lives, old skeletons tumble out of the closet that could literally carve them to shreds.

For Table for Three-Hold the Blood and Amazon Reviews

5-Stars

“This certainly was different and I really enjoyed it. Is there a movie out about it yet? There should be if not. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Thank you.

Published on December 31, 2013 by Kindle Customer”

 

4-Stars

“Wicked Good

What isn’t great is the speed with which the book ended. Thus 4 out of 5 stars.
This was a well written and well edited story with great characters and a wicked plot.

Published on October 28, 2013 by Outlaw’s Lady”

 

5-Stars

“Ghastly Fun

By Masonon July 11, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition

This is the third Bobbi Romans book I’ve read and I really love her writing still. Fast paced horror and love. Not one dull moment for her characters or for her readers.
This book is definitely not for the squeamish or faint of heart. But for guilty pleasure reading, just the ticket.”

 

 

To clarify… this story is NOT a romance but believe it or not, does have romantic elements. It is horror.  Another reviewer mentioned  “Grindhouse flick”  so for any tempted to read, understand all this BEFORE purchasing. But I think its fun.  So while I write, as another review said,

“4-stars Not for the squeamish

By Stacey Dixon on April 22, 2017

Format: Kindle Edition

I love horror and gory stories, this book had nice blend of some romance and humor to balance the blood and guts, what i love about Bobbi Romans is she writes books in so many different genres but they are all great books!”

all over the place, I do try my best to label my stories correctly.

Amazon Table for Three-Hold the Blood

Recipe Time!!

I meant to pop on sooner to share this. At Easter, I did this and it was hoovered in seconds.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

 1-2 Bunches Asparagus

1-2 pkgs Bacon

1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

1 Stick of Real Butter

1-2 Tsp Garlic Powder

Garlic salt with chives

Now to conserve on money I cut my package of bacon in half. Bacon stretches so it worked fine.

PREHEAT OVEN to 400

Hold bacon up by top of Asparagus and simply wrap it around. Doesn’t have to be a solid wrap but just wind it around. Repeat this for all asparagus and bacon. Laying each piece down on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Once done, melt stick of butter, add brown sugar and garlic powder and mix well.

Using a basting brush, brush butter mixture over asparagus.

Lightly sprinkle garlic salt with chives over tops.

Bake for about 10-15  min watching close for signs bacon is cooked.

 

Enjoy and have a Great Week!

Bobbi